Mumers Comes Through for Valentine's Day (Again)

It's no secret that we LOVE care packages. In fact, it's well-documented. The only care package I haven't properly documented since we moved to England was from my friend, Serena, who sent us lots of yummy food, Mary Kay samples, stationery, and a really kind note. Sorry, friend! I still remember everything though! Right? :)

Anyway, just like Valentine's Day a our first year here, we got one a care package from my mom. There was a huge faff with this huge box because we had to pay customs tax on it and then be home when it was delivered, but I paid the tax online and then Pamela was home to sign for it. Yet another bonus of having housemates.

What was inside but Taylor treasures! My mom was at my alma mater a few weeks ago and sent us some treats from my beloved uni. Nathan loves Taylor too... and golf. Hence the face.

He also got a sweet vest (gillet in British terms, pronounced like the French "zsheelay"). I had been on the hunt for one like it the whole time we were in the States, but I could NOT find one for the life of me. This was a great pick by my parents. 

Here he is in his new vest, posing with his extensive VHS collection. It's grown over the years, to say the least. For those of you haters wondering what we're going to do with them when we move back to the U.S., a friend here has already called shotgun on them (bagsied them, in British terms). All 80+ of them. VHS tapes are in high demand here, apparently.

I accidentally took a picture of my new boots, but I actually think it's quite artsy. Well done, me! They're gorgeous! Well done, Mumers!

More Taylor gear, boots (at the bottom of the picture), and some new gloves that allow me to play on my mom's iPad without my fingers freezing off. Yay!

Oh yeah, I French braided my hair for the first time the other day and was really proud. I feel like I'm turning into my dad.

And here are a few more snow pictures from around school...

The sun!

Me and my Narnia lamp post. If only it lead toward Narnia instead of my classroom...

Ceildh = Kaylee

We've been to ceildhs (pronounced "kaylees," I know, right?) before, but I've never blogged about one. They're awesome. They're British versions of American square dancing parties. Or maybe that's vice versa. We went to a joint birthday party for some friends, and it was loads of fun! Nathan and I were the oldest people there by like 10 years, but we still had a blast.

Getting instructions from the caller

Going in circles

Woohoo!

Blurry, but you get the idea.

Oh yeah. I cut my hair off. Sorry, Dad.

Got My Hurr Did

I got my hair cut on Friday for the first time in over six months, and boy did it feel good! It was raining (shocking) all afternoon and evening, so I tried to preserve my 'do enough to get a decent picture when I got home. 

I burst through the door and asked Nathan to take a few snaps. He took one. "There you go," he said. He handed me the camera, and I looked at the picture he took. The whole frame was full of just my rear end. Sigh... I'm glad he thinks I'm cute, but really!

After some cajoling, he took a few more.

And then I tried to get some by myself. I think I took 20+ pictures before giving up and settling on these two. I kept capturing images of the stone wall. I don't have very good aim, I suppose. Sorry  for the glare in the picture below. I wasn't mad. :)

Thus ends the story of the day I got my hair cut.

Happy Birthday Daddy

You pulled my first tooth with a piece of dental floss.  I still have that 'Gades jersey.  I don't think you can say the same for your bathrobe.

 This is us on my birthday.  

 Loving the beach...

 The 'stache didn't last long, did it?

I love this picture mostly because of Twine's face.  She looks like she's having a killer time.

 I think I wanted to give you big kisses and then steal your cool 80s watch.

I still love singing in church with you (I'm the blonde with the Dorothy Hamill haircut taking her singing VERY seriously.).

You're my body hairless Indian dad!  Hi-how-are-ya (sung in Native American sing-song).

You are so talented and impressed my high school friends with your hair braiding skills.  

I'm still taking my singing in church very seriously.  This time Twine has the Dorothy Hamill cut.

You look thrilled to be making my birthday cake... just one of your many talents.

 Wowsers!

 You baptized me in 8th grade.

You danced with me at all of the weddings we went to.

 Including mine, of course.

Graduation from Taylor.

Thanks to my fabulous shutterbug mom, who took all of these pictures over the years and then put them in a book for me when I got married.  It was the first item in the suitcase to bring to England.


I love you Daddy!  I hope you have a very happy birthday.  I can't wait to see you soon...

Just Like the Good Ol' Days...

I just got back from Indiana a couple of days ago.  I was a big girl and drove up and back all by myself.  I was at the Blumes' house in Anderson visiting my parents, my psuedo-parents, and friends at Taylor.

For old time's sake, I asked my dad to braid my hair.  He used to do all kinds of crazy creative braids and styles when I was younger.  He's so talented... He can even do corn rows!  Amers, Nathan says I look like you in this picture.

A Hair Raising Experience

Nathan had long expressed the desire for me to cut his hair, so for Christmas, I bought him some hair clippers in a cool little set. We put off cutting his hair forever and ever until it was just a huge mop on top of his head. It was time...

We started off the evening with idealistic dreams, represented here by our blissful kiss.


I think it's impossible for Nathan to have a genuine smile in front of the camera. His hair was just about as scary as his face.


Needless to say, I was completely ignorant about cutting hair. I had never done it before, and I was kind of scared. Nathan was encouraging... at first.


Then, he got so irritated with my perfectionism, he took the clippers into his own hands.


I never knew that a simple hair cutting experience could stir up so much sin in my heart. We started off with such hopes and dreams, and then I wanted to gouge his ears with the clippers because of his constant "tips." :)

I was getting more confident as time progressed.


This is the finished product. I'm still obsessed with his hair, my eyes drifting from his when he's talking to me to look for stray long hairs I may have missed. It's getting better with time though.


Um... gross!

Hair Pictures

Can you tell that these pictures were taken early this morning? The bags under my eyes clearly communicate this fact. Anyway, I took some hair pictures for my mom to see. I definitely have a "hair pictures face." Kristi does the pouty lips for her hair pictures. I do the Michael Jordan tongue.